DIVINE MAKING
[p. 316] DIVINE MAKING
Jeremiah 18: 1 - 10; Jeremiah 19:1 - 4; Jeremiah 19:10 - 12; Romans 9: 23, 24; Revelation 22: 10 - 15
It is in view to speak of divine making, as to what has been made divinely and sovereignly, vessels of mercy indeed as they are called in Romans, prepared for glory — the pattern of each item originating in the divine mind. The result in the making, therefore, must imply that each fits into his place, for it is said that whom God has foreknown “he has also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son”. God had His Son in mind in foreknowing and predestinating, that each of His own might fill a place in that great day when there will be no discrepancies, but each will be in his place among Christ’s brethren and as conformed to the image of God’s Son, so that Christ should be the firstborn among many brethren, as the word says. Foreknowledge and predestination were before time, they were matters of God’s own counsel. Calling is in time; whom He has called, He has justified, all from the divine side, so that there should be nothing to jar or to grieve the divine eye or mind. Reconciliation is involved, the ministry of reconciliation being given to the apostle with other ministries. Ministries given to him are of the highest order, including the mystery, in which are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. What a treasure to any man is such a ministry! So reconciliation is implied in this formation; whom He has called, those He has justified and glorified. Glorification implies that the person is worthy, he is suitable for it; it is in the suitability that the workmanship is seen. We read of an exceeding weight of glory, meaning that the persons glorified are great enough to sustain the glory, vessels of mercy indeed prepared for glory, “even us”, the apostle says, including ourselves. What a touch that is! And not only among the Jews, God has let in the gentiles, but in order that they should be formed after the highest pattern, for the idea of making implies one new man. “To make in himself of twain one new man” — it is a collective thought embracing Jew and gentile. Christ has effected this wonderful achievement, to make in Himself of twain one new man, so we ourselves are let in according to the administration given to Peter. We come into the hands of the greater administrator, namely Paul; he speaks of himself as a personality of a peculiar order. Peter does not. The Spirit of God obliged Paul to speak of himself, not that he had any taste for it. One who said he was less than the least of all saints would not glory in himself. He was impressed to speak of himself by the power of inspiration. “Being such a one as Paul the aged”, he says. He is handing over a convert of a first-class order, a brother beloved, transformed from a slave to a brother beloved, what workmanship! In remarking on it he says, “Being such a one as Paul the aged”, a tried workman with God, a wise architect as regards the structure, laying the foundation. So he has a peculiar personality. Peter lets the gentiles in according to divine appointment, and the Holy Spirit falls on them as he speaks, so that the workmanship is of the highest order, “In whom ye also are builded together”, the word says. This attaches to the gentiles. Almost since the beginning the work of God has proceeded among the gentiles. We can hardly speak of the Jew now. This great workman, Paul, was on the scene and the gentiles came in, so we find such material as the deputy of Cyprus. It was no accident that such a man was deputy at the time. Alongside him was a terrible man, one of the worst, namely Bar-Jesus. On him Paul fixed his eyes judicially and he was put out of [p. 318] the way, a man who pretended to be son of Jesus. The deputy was suitable material for the great purpose on hand, fitted for the assembly here below, a vessel of mercy, an intelligent man, so that as he saw what happened he was amazed at the teaching of the Lord. This man was ready for the new teaching and was subject to it, being a great dignitary himself. And then we have another, Lydia. It is said of her that the Lord opened her heart, a very fine bit of work, to attend to the things spoken by Paul, the greatest of all servants. She was honoured, but God was honouring the servant too, and bringing out the quality of his service as well as material in vessels. How can we be in glory save as our hearts are now opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul, not only to listen, but to attend?
Reverting to what is being made, now is the time for the formation of vessels for glory. I would appeal to everyone as to whether he is in the making, plastic material, renouncing his own will, handing himself or herself over for this, not replying against God, not saying, Why hast Thou made me thus? Each one may well say he has no moral right to do it. God is infinite, we are creatures; it is our wisdom, therefore, to be subject. The principle of the dispensation is obedience of faith for all the nations (Romans 16: 26). Exodus is a making book. Note the number of times the word ‘make’ is used, look at the making, and the persons used in the making. The word is used some 190 times. What does it mean? Why the repetition? Because God is delighting in what He is doing, and doing according to the pattern; nothing is made otherwise, and Christ is the Pattern. For forty days God was unfolding the pattern in its varied glories to Moses, and everything was to be made according to it. After those days Jehovah introduces a word in regard of the sabbath not used before or since, the word ‘refreshed’, Exodus 31: 17. That is [p. 319] at the end of the forty days in the mount when God enlarges on the sabbath, stating in strongest terms that it must be kept. He insists on it. How can there be material for divine workmanship except we lie fallow, having our minds and faculties under control and absorbing, letting God use us for His purposes? That is the point of Exodus. First what is required to be made, then what was made, then all passes under Moses’ hand. Everything was brought to Moses and approved, so that it is in the tabernacle according to pattern. One would urge young people to be in the hand of the Lord. Men skilled in wisdom and selected by the Lord are at work, and we are to be ‘Lydias’. The “things spoken by Paul” allude to the pattern, and all is being “prepared for glory”. It is the making time of grace and sovereign selection.
So the first passage in Jeremiah includes a house. The prophet is sent to the potter’s house. People who go to college to be educated for the ministry know nothing of this. It is not the sphere for it, the Potter has not chosen the university for His operations. If a professor of divinity is a spiritual man, he could be pointed to by the lecturer, but he may be unregenerate and a modernist, and yet turning out men for the ministry. Whereas the idea is a model, “Be ye followers of me”, the apostle says. He is forced to bring himself forward as the living model. The Lord says, “Learn from me”. Not simply that He teaches, but He is the model. So here, it is a house that is before us, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house ... and I went down to the potter’s house; and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made was marred, as clay, in the hand of the potter; and he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make”. How many marred vessels there are! It is what we are naturally, but the vessel is not thrown away, it is made “as clay”, that is, the idea remains. Man is a [p. 320] divine conception. Before ever there was a human being, the conception was in the heart of God. Christ is the prime thought of God in humanity; Adam is not the full thought. So the idea here is retained, not thrown away. “As seemed good to the potter to make”, it says. That is what is going on, the kind of vessel that suits God. The idea remains but there is a marring element, the natural man is marred by sin. If God brings a flood on the earth the antediluvians are destroyed, but eight are carried through in the ark. Man is not destroyed, the idea is not destroyed; it is God making what pleases Him. Where are we as to this? Many of us have been marred in the making. Is it not wisdom to humble ourselves and let the Potter proceed with us? Even if a man were put away in 1 Corinthians it supposes this process; God would not give him up: “That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”, as if He said, You are marred, and your responsibility will enter into this, but I am still making; the machinery is going on. Why not return? why not be in His hands? He will start again with the clay; the idea is in you, it is indestructible, and the Potter will make something that pleases Him. Can anyone then afford to move about not pleasing Him? One abominates the thought. If God is re-making, it must be on His own terms, as pleases Him.
Alas! the next chapter describes a bottle already made. That is to say, we have the making in chapter 18, and in chapter 19 a vessel made for destruction, a most terrible thing. As we draw near to the end of the dispensation these things are in appearance, what God is making for His pleasure, and what is made just now. Revelation 22: 11 describes the position, “Let him that does unrighteously do unrighteously still”. Think of God saying of a man, He is unjust, let him be unjust still. What does it mean? Is it possible that I have reached such a [p. 321] point, that it is a fixed matter? It is. I have never judged myself, I have pretended to do so, but returned to my wallowing in the mire. There have been holy, righteous people alongside of me, and they are to continue in these features. Let him that is righteous practise righteousness still. If they are righteous, they are to continue in it. It is a question of God’s government. Can we tie His hands day in and day out all our lives? He would say in the end, I can deal with that, and leave you just where you are. At the same time it is making time. So we have, “Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and that they should go in by the gates into the city”. The city is there and gates; there is a within and a without — who is outside? The list is given, a terrible list: “Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone that loves and makes a lie”. Then there are the people who go in. Who are the inside ones? Vessels of mercy prepared for glory. They are justifying God now. He has justified them through the death of Jesus, now they are justifying Him, and how? By going in through the gates, because they wash their robes. Everyone who washes is justifying God, a most important side of the truth in these last days. The city comes into view and the gates; they are one pearl, a great unifying thought. If not in fellowship in Auckland, I cannot be in Sydney, or in London. Those who are justifying God are washing their robes. In chapter 7 they have done it, in chapter 1 it is Christ who has washed us, but in chapter 22 we do it, and regularly; it is never undone. It is a constant thing, we are always to be up to date in washing, over against unrighteous and filthy men. With such, the state is fixed, the word says, Let him remain, “If any be ignorant, let him be ignorant”; it is not optional, “Our God is a consuming fire”;
“God is not mocked”. People assume that things are optional; not at all. There comes a moment when, so to speak, you cross the line and the matter is fixed. So each one has to challenge himself. On the other hand, they are blessed who wash their robes and enter through the gates into the city, and the tree of life is available to such.
This confirms chapter 19 of Jeremiah. No grace at all is contemplated, no re-making at all. Chapter 19 is a chapter of judgment, whereas in chapter 18 the explanation is after the parable, a way is open for re-making; but in chapter 19 there is no house, it is a fixed matter, a question of the potter’s earthen bottle, and the prophet is to go forth to the valley of Tophet. What a different picture: a made bottle, not one in the making, but taken to the place of judgment and there broken! So that God is speaking to us in this closing moment as to what He is doing sovereignly and in grace, preparing for glory. Apostasy, on the other hand, has begun, the great religious apostasy, the mystery of iniquity. Are God’s hands tied? Is He not free to act judicially? He is free, and He is doing it; there is no mistake. So Jeremiah 19 calls attention to the fact that there is no relief, the bottle is broken where Tophet is, the place of judgment; it is solemn, most solemn. One would love to have the solemnity of God’s punitive dealing at the present time spread abroad. We get a solemn word in John 3, “He that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him”. People have returned to paganism. God is dealing with these matters, though real judgment is still pending, waiting till the iniquity of the Amorites is full.
So that if a man reaches a point beyond which God cannot go on with him, the word is, Let him be unjust still. On the other hand, as walking in practical righteousness by the Spirit, we are to continue in that.
It says in 1 Corinthians 11, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep”, and John speaks of a man who has sinned who is not to be prayed for. One may reach such a stage, even a nominal christian, when the Spirit of God says he is not to be prayed for. You say to a brother, Pray for me, but can you add anything to that? Can you say as the apostle did, For I trust I have a good conscience? You have no moral right to ask for the prayers of the saints otherwise. The gracious dealings of God are going on preparing vessels for glory. The end of all things is approaching when antichrist will be acknowledged, “whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the breath of his mouth, and shall annul by the appearing of his coming”. Meantime God is telling us to beware that we do not go too far, and belong to those without. Have you any feeling as to being without? Think what company you are in! “What have I to do to judge them also that are without?” the apostle says; God judges them. What I have to do with is what is within, to see that conditions among us are holy. The tree of life is there for those who wash their robes.